


Thaw

by Yeoyou



Series: First A Kiss [3]
Category: Metal Gear
Genre: First Kiss, Hal will never again have a snowball fight with Snake ... but then again he might, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 03:51:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9366797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yeoyou/pseuds/Yeoyou
Summary: Hal should have realised that initiating a snowball fight with legendary soldier Solid Snake would be a bad idea. He didn't and has to suffer the consequences. [Snot Week 2017, 3]





	

**Author's Note:**

> Not my favourite ficlet of the bunch, tbh, but I finished it at least ;D Also: AO3 seems to count words differently to my edition of Word so I had to add two more words?! WHAT?! Don't mess with me!

Hal couldn't remember the last time he'd been this drenched outside of a shower. Or this cold. He should have known, of course, that trying to best Snake in a snowball fight could only end in a humiliation. His very first tactical error had been to suggest the endeavour at all. No further errors were necessary after that to ensure his defeat.

Hal's teeth were chattering loudly as he shuffled inside their cabin, jeans stiff with ice and his limbs more dead than alive. It would have been wonderful if they had had a working fireplace at least, in front of which he could thaw but the chimney was so clogged that lighting a fire would only end up with them getting smoke poisoning. And Snake's cigarettes did enough of that in Hal's estimation.

He glanced behind him at Snake and was annoyed to see that he seemed pretty fine, all things considered. There were a few damp patches and his cheeks were a little redder than usual but apart from that, he didn't even seem overly cold.

"I'll t-take a h-hot sh-shower," Hal managed to stutter and made hurried little steps in the direction of their bathroom. Any larger steps would have meant bending his legs and he wasn't even sure he could do that anymore.

"Don't make it too hot, Hal," Snake cautioned. "It'll only hurt worse. You should actually start with cold water and work up from there."

He'd grinned and shown no mercy earlier but now there was a hint of concern in his voice and his eyes.

Hal's teeth chattered worse than ever but he managed a short nod and resumed his undignified hobble towards the bathroom.

Once there, he peeled his clothes off as fast as possible and climbed into the shower. Hal ignored Snake's advice and regretted it instantly the moment the hot water connected with his frozen skin. He bit his teeth together lest he scream out and concentrated on the litany of swear words screaming inside his brain. He wouldn't give Snake that satisfaction.

Long agonising minutes later, he started to feel human again and after another long while he began to relax under the stream. Until they ran out of hot water and he was sprayed with freezing cold droplets.

Hal shrieked and scrambled out of the shower only to realise that he hadn't had the foresight – his brain cells having been frozen – to take any new clothes with him. Putting on the old ones was out of the question. They'd gotten quite comfortable in their pile and the puddle of melted ice.

Hal grabbed a towel that was entirely too small for his comfort and poked his head outside the steamy bathroom.

"Uh ... Snake?"

The soldier appeared a moment later.

"Took your time," he grumbled and then raised a questioning eyebrow.

Hal explained his predicament and hopped from one cold foot to the other while waiting for Snake to come back with something.

"Here you go."

"That's ... just a bathrobe."

Snake shrugged and went off towards the living room.

Hal eyed the piece of clothing with an unhappy sigh and then slipped it around his shoulders, wrapping himself as tightly as possible in the warm folds. It was comfortable but he'd have preferred to have some underwear nevertheless. And socks.

He ventured out on cold toes but before he could get his own clothes, Snake seduced him with promises of hot coffee and a heater running on full power.

To his surprise, Snake had created a veritable nest in front of the heater, pillows and blankets at the ready, two steaming mugs of coffee, and even his laptop close at hand.

"Thought we could warm up while watching one of your shows."

Hal's cheeks suddenly felt pretty warm already.

Well, if that's what Snake wanted, who was Hal to deny him?!

He cuddled into the blankets and sighed happily at the warmth at his back. Or Snake's proximity.

"Maybe I should lose snowball fights more often."

His partner snorted.

"I don't think so. Can't risk losing you to hypothermia."

"Well, then warm me up!" The words were out before Hal knew it.

But Snake just grinned. And kissed him.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Thaw: After the Shower (Remixchange)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11303376) by [feusgan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/feusgan/pseuds/feusgan)




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